Moistening device



Sept. 26, 1967 R. c. GEITZ MOISTENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 8, 1965 INVENTOR ROBERT c. GEITZ BY fk-Jzfldfiniv ATTORNEY United States Patet Qfitice 3,343,799 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 3,343,799 MOISTENING DEVICE Robert Charles Geitz, 7 Hoplea Road, Simsbury, Conn. 06070 Filed Jan. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 424,439 6 Claims. (Cl. 239-568) This invention relates generally to a distributor for use in moistening Web materials such as webs of tobacco as formed in the tobacco industry and webs of paper produced in the paper making industry.

In certain industrial processes such as the manufacture of sheet tobacco and the manufacture of paper it is desired to moisten a moving web of material with the degree of moistening being relatively accurately controlled and with it being essential that the moistening be uniform. Various apparatus have been utilized for accomplishing this objective with the apparatus being devised to introduce steam onto the web of material with the steam condensing and thereby moistening the material. These various prior art devices for accomplishing this result have had certain disadvantages, either being too complicated and expensive or being not entirely satisfactory in operation because of producing a non-uniform moistening of the web of material.

The present invention is designed to overcome these objections and provide a simple inexpensive distributing device specifically designed to introduce a condensable medium, such as steam, onto the surface of a moving Web of material to moisten this web of material with the device providin a uniform distribution of the medium and a uniform moistening of the material. While the invention will be herein described as utilizing steam as the moistening medium it is to be understood that this is by way of example only and that other condensable gaseous mediums may be employed.

In accordance with the invention, the distributor includes a chamber, the floor of which is comprised of a plurality of channel members which are secured together such that there is provided between adjacent members a passage way for the egress of steam from the interior of the chamber outwardly to the exterior thereof for impingement upon the particular sheet or web material that is to be moistened. The channel members are positioned with their flanges upstanding and are maintained in spaced relation by a plurality of washers disposed between and spaced along the length of adjacent channels. The adjacent channels are bolted together with the bolts passing through these spaced washers. The bolts associated wth adjacent pairs of channels are staggered or offset in order that there will be no part of the web of material that is to pass beneath the distributor which will not be impinged upon by steam. The upper portion of the chamber and the end walls of the chamber are formed of sheet material and there is provided a distributing conduit that extends through the end walls and is secured thereto with this conduit having openings spaced throughout the length thereof communicating with the interiorof the chamber. This conduit is adapted to be connected to a source of steam which is thus distributed uniformly throughout the length of the chamber.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved distributor for use in moistening web or sheet material.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an improved distributor which is simple and economic in construction yet reliable and entirely satisfactory in operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such an improved distributor which insures uniform moistening of the web of material passing therebeneath with there being no droplets of condensation deposited on this web from the distributor.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds.

With the aforementioned objects in view, the invention comprises an arrangement, construction and combination of the elements of the inventive organization in such a manner as to attain the results desired as hereinafter more particularly set forth in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment, said embodiment being shown by the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of the distributor of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally from lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken generally from line 33 of FIGURE 1, and;

FIGURE 4 is in the nature of a fragmentary exploded view showing in detail how the upstanding flanges of adjacent channels that form the bottom of the distributor are secured together and maintained in spaced relation.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters are used throughout to designate like elements, the illustrative and preferred embodiment of the invention depicted therein includes a chamber designated generally 10 and made up of the floor 12 and upper region 14 and end walls 16 and 18. The upper region and the end walls may be made of sheet material, such as sheet copper while the floor 12 is made up of a plurality of longitudinally extended channels maintained in spaced side-by-side relation with their being three such channels in the illustrative embodiment and with these channels being identified as 20, 22, and 24.

The channels are mounted or disposed so that their flanges are upstanding, as shown, and the adjacentflanges of channels 20 and 22 as well as channels 22 and 24 are maintained in uniform spaced relation throughout the length of the channels. These adjacent upstanding flanges are secured together in this spaced relation by bolt means 26 which includes the bolt 28 and the nut 30. The bolt is received within complementary openings in the upstanding flanges and passes through washer 32 which is placed between these flanges. The washer acts as a spacer and, is illustrated, there are a substantial number of the bolt means and washers spaced throughout the length of the adjacent flanges whereby a uniform spacing is assured and is maintained. There is thus provided between channels 24 and 22 an elongated passage 34 and between channels 20 and 22, a similar passage 36 within steam egressing from the interior of the chamber 10 downwardly through these passages onto a web of material 37 passing therebeneath such as in the direction indicated by arrow 38. The bolt means 26 associated with passage 34 are offset relative to those associated with passage 36 such that the passages 34 and 36 together will, in effect, provide for complete coverage throughout the length of the distributor with respect to the web passing beneath the distributor. Thus, steam will impinge upon the web of material from the distributor throughout the entire width of the web or in other words, length of the distributor.

In order that condensation which may form within the distributor may be drained from the distributor and will not pass in the form of droplets from the distributor through the passages 34 and 36 there are provided drains 40 in the bottom of each of the channels 20, 22 and 24 with these drains conveying the condensation to a remote location.

Steam is introduced into the chamber 10 by means of the conduit 42 which extends throughout the length of the chamber passing through the end walls 16 and 18 and being secured in a fluid type manner to these end walls. The conduit 42 is provided with openings 44 in the opposite side walls thereof and distributed throughout the length of the portion of the conduit disposed between the end walls. The conduit 42. is adapted to be connected to a source of steam and as a result of the openings 44 being distributed through the length of the conduit, there is provided a uniform distribution of steam within the chamber 18.

The chamber is preferably supported from the conduit 42 with this conduit being supported in any desired fashion such as by means of the support hangers 46.

The distributor is fabricated of a non-corrosive material so that the passageways 34 and 36 do not become clogged or nonuniform during operation but remain of accurate and uniform size providing for an even distribution of the steam and a uniform moistening of the web material.

The sheet member 14 forming the upper region of the chamber and the end walls 16 and 18 are secured in a fluid tight manner to upstanding flanges formed on the floor 12 as by bolts, brazing or other suitable fastening means.

In lieu of providing for downward distribution of the steam onto the upper surface of web 37 the distribution chamber may be mounted below the web for upward directing of the steam. The chamber It will thus be turned over so the channels 28, 22 and 24 are immediately beneath the web and the steam is projected up from the passages 34 and 36 onto the web. When thus oriented the drain 4i) will be provided in the sheet member 14 in the then lower region of the chamber 10.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that such is merely illustrative and not restricted and the variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes as fall within the purview of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A distributor for the application of a condensable medium to web material for moistening the same comprising in combination an elongated chamber adapting to extend generally horizontally across said web material, the bottom of said chamber being comprised of a plurality of elongated sections positioned in side-by-side relation with adjacent sections having complementary upstanding flanges, means maintaining said flanges in spaced relation so as to provide longitudinally extending passageways, means securing said flanges in said spaced relation, drain passageways formed in the lower region of said chamber and communicating therewith on each side of said flanges, and means for introducing a condensable medium into said chamber comprising an elongated conduit extending the length of said chamber and through the ends thereof whereby said chamber may be supported from said conduit, and openings in said conduit distributed along the length thereof and communicating with the interior of said chamber.

2. A distributor for the application of a condensable medium to web material for moistening the same comprising in combination an elongated chamber adapted to extend generally horizontally across the web material, the bottom of said chamber being comprised of at least three longitudinally extending sections positioned in sideby-side relation with adjacent sections having complementary upstanding flanges, said upstanding flanges being maintained in spaced relation by means of washers disposed between the flanges and positioned at spaced intervals throughout the length thereof, said flanges being secured together in said spaced relation by means of bolts extending through said washers, the bolts extending through adjacent pairs of flanges being out of alignment, drain passageways formed in the lower region of said chamber and communicating therewith on each side of said flanges, and means for introducing a condensable medium into said chamber.

3. A distributing device for directing a moistening agent onto the surface of web material comprising a floor including a plurality of generally co-planar channels in side-by-side relation with their flanges upstanding, spacer means positioned between the flanges of adjacent channels to maintain them in uniformly spaced relation throughout their length thereby forming a plurality of longitudinally extending passageways with these passageways being interrupted by said spacer means and with the spacer means associated with adjacent passageways being ofiset, means securing adjacent channels together in said spaced relation, a drain for each of said channels, means secured to and extending upwardly from said floor to form the upper region of said distributor, end Walls completing the enclosure of said distributor, and means for introducing a moistening agent, such as steam, into said distributor.

4. The organization of claim 4 wherein the upstanding flanges of adjacent channels are maintained in spaced relation by washers with said channels being secured together by bolts that extend through said washers.

S. The organization of claim 4 wherein the means for introducing a moistening agent into said distributor includes a conduit extending longitudinally of said distributor, said conduit passing through and being secured to the end walls of said distributor, said conduit having a plurality of openings spaced throughout the length of the portion thereof intermediate said end walls.

6. A distributor of the type described comprising in combination an elongated chamber the floor of which is comprised of at least three channel members disposed in a side-by-side relation with their flanges upstanding, said flanges of adjacent channels being maintained in spaced relation by washers spaced throughout the length of the channels, adjacent channnels being secured together in spaced relation by a plurality of bolt means passing through said flanges with said washers receiving said bolt means, the bolt means for adjacent pairs of flanges being oifset, a drain being provided in the bottom of each channel, said chamber including sidewalls and end walls, a distributing conduit extending longitudinally to said chamber with said conduit extending through the end walls of the chamber and being secured thereto whereby said chamber may be supported from said conduit, said conduit having a plurality of openings distributed throughout the length thereof intermediate said end walls with said openings being directed laterally of said chamber through opposite sides of said conduit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,434,715 11/1922 MacDonald 239552 2,716,380 8/1955 Martin 239-568 2,949,239 8/1960 Ioyette 239568 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE APPLICATION OF A CONDENSABLE MEDIUM TO WEB MATERIAL FOR MOISTENING THE SAME COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN ELONGATED CHAMBER ADAPTING TO EXTEND GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY ACROSS SAID WEB MATERIAL, THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER BEING COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED SECTIONS POSTIONED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION WITH ADJACENT SECTIONS HAVING COMPLEMENTARY UPSTANDING FLANGES, MEANS MAINTAINING SAID FLANGES IN SPACED RELATION SO AS TO PROVIDE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAYS, MEANS SECURING SAID FLANGES IN SAID SPACED RELATION, DRAIN PASSAGEWAYS FORMED IN THE LOWER REGION OF 